Iivari Männistö responded in the best possible way after suffering his first setback of the season. Eliminated before the final in Saturday’s opening event at Nysum, the championship leader bounced back by winning Round 8 of the RallyX North season the following day. While Sebastian Isaksætre leaves Denmark as the highest scorer of the weekend, Männistö remains the real winner in the championship battle, extending his lead to 52 points with two rounds remaining at Buxtehude.
Männistö built his Sunday victory by steadily increasing his pace throughout the day. After finishing only seventh in Q1, he won Q2 before setting the third-fastest time in Q3. Second in the intermediate classification, he then won his semi-final before taking victory in the final by 1.476 seconds over Sebastian Isaksætre. His tally of 29 points from a possible 30 left him just one point short of a perfect score, missing only the bonus point awarded to the intermediate classification winner.
Runner-up in the final, Isaksætre once again underlined that he was the standout performer at Nysum. After claiming maximum points with victory on Saturday, the Norwegian maintained his impressive pace despite a difficult Q2, where he finished only 15th. Setting the fastest time of all three semi-finals with a 4:14.637, he eventually scored 25 points on Sunday to end the weekend with 55 of the 60 points on offer.
Third place went to Pim Klaassen, who claimed another podium in only his second RallyX North appearance of the season. After finishing second on Saturday and third on Sunday, the Dutchman continued the form he displayed at Valkenswaard, where he launched his campaign with back-to-back victories in RallyX South. His place in the final was secured by just 0.332 seconds over Alex Anttila, who was eliminated in the semi-finals despite an excellent qualifying performance.
Jere Huuhka also has reason to feel disappointed. Having topped the intermediate classification thanks to victory in Q3 and then won his semi-final, the Finn entered the final with the highest provisional points tally among the six finalists. Fourth place in the final, however, limited him to 25 championship points, matching Isaksætre’s total for Sunday’s event.
In the championship, Isaksætre is the biggest beneficiary of the weekend. His haul of 55 points lifts him from fifth to third in the standings, leaving him just one point behind Alex Anttila and three points clear of Huuhka.
Even so, it is Männistö who leaves Nysum in the strongest position. Despite his semi-final elimination on Saturday, the Finn still collected 48 points across the weekend and increased his championship lead from 43 to 52 points.
The championship standings are still provisional, but the picture ahead of the decisive Buxtehude finale is now much clearer. With 60 points still available, only Alex Anttila, Sebastian Isaksætre and Jere Huuhka remain mathematically capable of denying Männistö the title.
Männistö heads to Estering with a commanding 52-point advantage. Just nine more points will be enough to secure the RallyX North CrossCar Junior title, regardless of his rivals’ results. Anttila, Isaksætre and Huuhka, meanwhile, will need an almost perfect weekend while hoping the Finn suffers a major setback if they are to prevent him from turning his remarkable consistency into his first RallyX North CrossCar Junior title.